Pleasure-railway.



F. INGERSOLL.

PLEASURE RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED MAILIZ, 1013.

1,079,052, Patented NOV. 18, 1913.

WITNESSES INVENTOR QM W FREDERICK INGELRSOLL, 011 DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

PLEASURE-RAILWAY.

Application filed March 12, 1913.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Nov. 18, 'l 5113.

Serial No. 753,797.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, FREDERICK lNonnsoLL, a citizen of the United States, residino at Detroit, in the county of \Vayne and State of lvlichigan, have invented new and useful lmproven'units in Pleasure Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pleasure railways of the type popularly known as roller coasters, scenic railways, and the like.

The invention has for one 01 its objects to greatly enhance the annisement value of a railway of this character by providing a plurality of tracks or courses paralleling each other thrmighout, and so arranged that a plurality oil cars or t 'ains traveling on the lOSPGCt lVG tracks, it started simultaneously will travel side by side, thereby giving the ellect ot' a ace throughout the entire course.

A further object is to so arrange the courses that the respective tracks are alternately on the outside and the inside of the course,

A further object is to provide an improved arrangement whereby passengers will have ready access to the respective cars without crossing the tracks, and also to permit the respective cars to be brought side by side before they are elevated to the highest point 01 the course.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the contour in elevation.

Referring to the drawing, designates a loading and unloading platform provided with a stairway arranged between the tracks 12 and 1?), the arrangement being such that passengers entering at 14 may pass up the stairway to the loading station without crossing the tracks. It will be noted that the tracks 12 and 13 are arranged parallel to each other at this point and beyond one end of the main railway course which is indicated as a whole by the letter A. The track 12 is provided with a curve 15 extending to the left and terminating at the point 16. The track 13 is provided with a loop 17 extending to the right and passing under the loading station and also under the track 12 to the point 16. From the point 16 the cars are elevated to the highest point 19 by suitable elevating devices which are common and well known and need not here be described. From the point 1.6 to the point 19 the tracks extend in a straight line and diagonally across the space upon which the railway is located. At the point 20 the tracks are curved to the right forming a loop and from said loop extend diagonally across the space as indicated at 21 passing under the track leading from 16 to 1%). The course 21 tern'iinates in a loop extending to the left and joining a straight course 23 extending along one side of the area upon which the railway is located, and said course 2 -3 connected with a loop beneath the loop 20. The loop E2 is also connected to a diagonal course .25 passing under the course 21 and parallel Willi thecourse extending from 16 to 15) but in a lower plane. The course 25 joins a loop 26 belowthe loop 22 and a second diagonal course 27 leads from said loop beneath the course 21. The course 27 is connected through a loop 28 beneath loops 20 and 21 with a straight course 25) arranged on the opposite side of the area A from course 23. At the point 30 the tracks of course 25) separate and turn to the left to form the parallel tracks at the loading station.

It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the various courses are provided with dips and inclines the contours of which may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is immaterial what construction of car is cn'lployed, except that it is desirable that they be balanced to run at approximately the same speed. The loops and courses of the track are so arranged in connection with the contours that each track from the starting point to the finish is of approximately the same length. The object is to have the cars so adjusted and the track so arranged that cars traveling simultancously over the tracks and without a load will move at substantially the same speed and finish at, approximately the same time. Thus the speed of each car from the time that it is allowed to move forward by gravity, will depend upon its momentum and load, and the resistance presented by the load and otherwise encountered in the travel of the car. The arrangement of the courses is such that as the cars pass around the various curves they shift their relative positions so that during the travel over the railway the ears alternately lead and fall behind, although it is possible under some conditions, that one of the cars owing to its momentum, and the resistances encountered by it, may precede the other car throughout its travel.

In the apparatus illustrated the cars on tracks 12 and 13 are loaded and are allowed to drop by gravity to the point 16, the car on track 12 passing around curve 15 and the car on track 13 passing around the loop 17;

From the point 16 they are elevated to the point 19 from which point they travel for ward by gravity, first passing around the loop'20 over the course 21, around loop 22, along course 28, around loop 24:, along course 25, around loop 26 and over course 27 to loop 28, along course 29 to the point 80 where they are directed to the loading station.

It will be noted that in plan view my improved railway has somewhat the appear ance of a figure 8 located between two spaced apart longitudinal courses, and terminating in transversely arranged parallel courses located beyond one end of the said figure 8, and at which point the loading and unloading accommodations are provided. The tracks are so arranged that the cars travel alternately over the diagonal and lon gitudinal courses, the supplemental course being connected at one end to the longitudinal courses 29 and at the other end with the diagonal course leading to point 19.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and described an operative manner of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what I claim is 1. An amusement apparatus of the character described comprising a main railway formed of a plurality of tracks arranged in parallel relation and provided with alternate diagonal and longitudinal courses united by loops, and a supplemental course located beyond said main portion and arranged transversely of the latter, said supplemental course being connected at one end with one of said diagonal courses and at the other end with one of said longitudinal courses.

2. A pleasure railway comprising a main Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner portion formed of a plurality of tracks arranged in parallel relation and provided with straight courses united by loops, and a supplemental course located beyond said main portion and arranged transversely of the latter, the'tracks of said supplemental course being connected with the main course by loops extending in opposite directions.

3. A pleasure railway comprising. a main portion formed of a plurality of tracks arranged in parallel relation and provided with straight courses united by loops, and p a supplemental course located beyond said main portion and arranged transversely of the latter, the tracks of said supplemental course being connected with the main por tion by loops extending in opposite directions, the tracks of said loops crossing each other. i V

4. A pleasure railway comprising a plurality of tracks arranged in parallel relation to provide straight courses, diagonal courses arranged between the straight courses, and loops uniting the straight and diagonal courses in alternate relation.

5. A pleasure railway comprising a plurality of tracks arranged in parallel relation to provide straight courses, diagonal courses arranged between the straight courses and crossing each other, and loops uniting the straight and diagonal courses in alternate relation.

6. A pleasure railway comprising a main portion formed of a plurality of tracks arranged in parallel relation to provide straight courses, diagonal courses arranged between the straight courses, loops uniting the respec tive straight and diagonal courses in alternate relation, and a supplemental course located beyond said main portion and arranged transversely of the latter, said supplemental course being connected at one end with one of said diagonal courses and at the other end with one of said longitudinal courses.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK INGERSOLL. Witnesses:

FRANCIS O. GAUKLER, AUGUSTUS G. STELLWAGEN.

of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

